I for sure am no chef… but I have to admit I have a big ego when it comes to baking!
I baked wedding cakes for 5 years while going to school to become a OB/GYN sonographer (I do ultrasounds on babies in the womb)
To get through school, I had to hustle! I come from a blended family with  a total of 15 siblings! There was no college funds in a bank account for me. I needed to pay my own way. The ultrasound program I decided to do was VERY pricey. I needed to find a side job!
I had made party cakes for fun before, and was persuaded to take it to the next level and make my best friend’s wedding cake. From there, I was busy. Everyone loved my cakes. Sometimes I had 3 wedding cakes in one weekend which was really good money! But I had a secret recipe of success that people begged for… I never would reveal it… because after all that is why I was so successful! I had mastered the art of taste, moistness and I think they were appealing to the eye!
After finishing school, I was a different kind of busy and had no time for baking cakes as a business. After Chanelle was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (she was the first in the family diagnosed), I decided that I needed to master the art of Gluten Free baking! So I did! I altered recipes until I found the perfect formulation!
Now for the secret recipe that literally wins both gluten eating and gluten free taste buds… (I just want to remind anybody local to me… I no longer make cakes as a business so no, I do not take orders!)
But I was throwing a baby shower for one of my closest friends recently and made her a yummy vanilla cake with raspberry filling!
To see the visual of the step-by-step process check out my Instagram account @ServingCeliacs and look in the highlight section.
Vanilla Raspberry Filled Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 packages Gluten Free Vanilla (or Yellow) Cake Mix
- 2 packages Vanilla Instant Pudding (Small)
- 8 Large Eggs
- â…” Cup Oil
- 2 Cans Lemon Lime Soda
Filling:
- 1 Small Package of Fresh Raspberries
- ½ Small Box Vanilla Instant Pudding
- ½ Cup Buttercream Icing
- ¼ Cup Milk (I used lactose-free)
Buttercream Icing Recipe From Cake By Courtney:
- 2 Cups Unsalted butter, chilled (I take the butter out of the fridge 30 minutes before I make my frosting)
- 6 Cups Powdered sugar, Measured and then sifted
- 3-4 Tbsp Heavy whipping cream
- 2 Teaspoons Clear vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Cake Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all wet ingredients (eggs, oil and soda) in a small bowl and mix together.
- In a larger bowl combine cake mix and dry pudding mix.
- Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry until fully incorporated.(This mixture will be runnier than typical cake batter).
- Pour batter into 3 greased 10" round cake pans.
- Bake for approximately 30-35 min or until the toothpick comes out clean. (oven times vary)
Filling Instructions:
- Mix instant pudding mix with milk of choice until smooth
- Fold in Buttercream Icing
- Roughly chop fresh raspberries and gently fold into the filling mixture
Icing Instructions:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for about 2 minutes. This will soften the butter without it having to be warm.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing a little in between each addition.
- With mixer on medium speed, add whipping cream, vanilla and salt.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The frosting will become lighter in color and texture.
- Before spreading on your cake, spend a couple minutes mixing the buttercream by hand with a wooden spoon to push out the air pockets.
By the way… You can make this cake to be any flavor you want… for chocolate just use a GF chocolate cake mix with instant chocolate pudding mix… let your creativity guide you!
Xox, Coral